Cervical cancer vaccinations resume

Schools signalled the cervical cancer vaccinations would resume again after
results from the post mortem results found a serious and rare underlying
condition was probably the cause of Natalie Morton's death.

Natalie Morton died hours after receiving the cervical cancer vaccine but family says she had been ill for some time

By Rebecca Smith and Murray Wardrop, Medical Editor

4:34PM BST 30 Sep 2009

Family members confirmed the 14-year-old had been ill 'for some time' and said they were satisfied that the vaccine had not caused her death.

School and primary care trusts around the country had suspended their vaccination programmes while the batch involved was identified and sent back GlaxoSmithKline, the maker, for testing.

The recall was being carried out as a precaution, a spokesman for Glaxo said, and was instigated before results from the post mortem were available which showed the vaccine was 'unlikely' to have been related to the death.

Tens of thousands of doses of vaccine are involved in the recall and as a result some areas will not have had enough supplies to continue vaccinating, a spokesman for the Department of Health said.

Local arrangements were being put in place to share out batches of the vaccine unaffected by the recall and more stocks were being ordered.

Natalie Morton collapsed at Blue Coat School, in Coventry, on Monday hours after being given the Cervarix vaccine, against the humanpapilloma virus which causes 70 per cent of cervical cancers.

She died later in hospital and fears were prompted the vaccine may have been faulty or she may have suffered a reaction to it.

However last night a spokesman for Coventry PCT said post mortem results had found a 'serious underlying medical condition which was likely to have caused death'.

The vaccination programme there will resume on Monday and in other areas of the country the immunisations were being rescheduled.

A spokesman for Coventry PCT said: “It is an extremely rare health problem for a girl of Natalie’s age to suffer.”

Natalie’s stepfather, Andrew Bullock, said yesterday that she had been unwell for “some time” and that the family now believed the vaccine had not caused her death.

Mr Bullock said: “Natalie has been poorly for some time. She had not been to hospital but she was receiving medication and doctors have been involved.

“I don’t wish to say anything more about Natalie’s illness but let’s just say that sometimes things go on inside people’s bodies that we are not always aware of.

“We now believe that her death may not have been linked to the vaccine. We are waiting to hear the results of the post mortem to find out more.

“We are happy with the way the way that the school and the primary care trust have handled the situation. The school was not aware of Natalie's condition.

“We are now trying come to terms with our loss.”

A Department of Health spokesman said: "Preliminary results from the autopsy on Natalie Morton, who sadly died on Monday confirm that she had a rare and grave underlying medical condition that was likely to have caused her death.

"Before this was known, the vaccine manufacturer voluntarily initiated a recall of one batch of vaccine as a precautionary measure.

"We have been clear all along that there is no reason to suspend HPV immunisation - the programme against cervical cancer continues today.

"Some areas may have minor interruptions to the immunisation programme because they do not have sufficient stock of vaccine - this is a temporary situation following the precautionary batch recall by the manufacturer.

Others may have decided to pause to make sure parents and girls have all the facts they need, he added.

"We have one of the most successful immunisation programmes in the world

and have great confidence in the safety of them. Young girls can continue